Horror Books

Bryan Dunn's Thaw is plain and simply a great book. The character's are well-conceived and the plot moves along at a breakneck pace. From the moment you open the book until the very last page, you will be drawn into the suspenseful plot.
TAKE NOTE HOLLYWOOD: This book would make a great film. It has everything: humor, suspense, likeable characters and a villain unlike any you have ever seen.
BOTTOM LINE: Pick up a copy and settle in for a good time. You won't regret it!

The storyline kept me wanting more. I was at the edge of my seat and could not put it down. A well written and easy read.

I read Thaw in one night and wanted more! The characters are really well thought out and the plot keeps you reading. This is a funny, fast paced, thrilling adventure-definitely one of the best books I have read this year!

This book is a great read. Every chapter just flowed and kept your attention. Thaw is a book that you really want to keep reading, it is just that good. After I finished Thaw, I recommended it to my wife and she could not put it down. Each chapter leads you into the next chapter.. Thaw is a fun read!

glen serbin

I'm more of a classics reader so I was not sure what to expect when I picked up a copy of this lighthearted horror/thriller. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. It reads smoothly and easily, it definately keeps your interest and it provides some good chuckles as well. The sense of place is keen and the characters sympathetic. A good read, it's the perfect travel book and the short chapters make it a great book to pick up during your daily coffee break.

My son and I read this book together. He was a pre-teen at the time, and I'm glad I was there so we could talk about some of the disturbing things that happened. In spite of the frightening events, we both enjoyed the book and the time we spent together reading it. This book is not for every pre-teen, though. If your younger child reads it, you'll probably want to be there, too.

nice light read, enjoyable, imaginative, not too serious, enjoyable by children but intelligent enough for adults, dark and sinister and yet still has a happy side to it, me likey. wont take you very long to get through.

This is an incredable story that flows seemlessly from first to last page. It has all the elements of a classic Grim Fairy Tail and some of the best Gothic drawings I've every seen. The charecters are so real that you end up feeling for all of them, and the discription of Mr Hood as a vampire of the soul could not have been more accurate. Not quite one to read to the kids but it's definatly one to read when the kids are asleep.

this book was the best book that i had ever read.
although ive probably only read about a minimum of 10 novels in my life this book was the best. Also, the audio cassette version rocks your mom. if you ever listen to an audio book I'd recommend this one.

The Thief of Always is a exciting, fun book that keeps you want to keep on reading. A little scary but addicting. The expression bored to death, which was created by Zeus when Hermes told everlasting jokes to a monster, just means your bored for a couple minutes and then you find something to do, but to this boy he is literally bored to death and is taken to a holiday house, a kid's dream! Then things begin to change......if you want to find out what happens I suggest you read the book, The Thief of Always!

This book is very good. It keeps you wondering
from chapter to chapter what will happen next
and you really don't expect it when it does.
Everything comes together beautifully and it
is exceedingly well written. A must for every
bored housewife out there to add to her collection.
It is an excellent book.

"The moment she met Ryan Alden, a handsome stranger, Shana Morland was torn between sacred love and its darkest power. She wanted him- but the source of this overwhelming attraction lay veiled in mystery.
Ryan Alden had roared out of the unknown into Shana's life on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Was he the reckless drifter he seemed? Or was he a demon of desire from a past that he did not remember? This love could mean magic menace for Shana. But only the fates she had so recklessly tempted held the tantalizing answer."--from the back of the cover.

This is one of those kind of books that you'll stay up reading until the last page. Can not put down. I recommend all of Carin Rafferty's books and if any of you know of any more that she has written, please e-mail me and let me know!!!

I love how Carin uses detail and how she words her material it is fabulous. I would read all of her books over and over again that is how much I really enjoy her work. It sure does make husband's jellous when you can't put a book down. I just can't find enough ways to thank her for the wonderful work that she has done to put a lot of joy into reading and to keep the emagination going and sometimes the spice in one's marriage. It does work.

When I first got Touch of Magic from the library, at first I wasn't sure, but I am into stories on witches and warlocks and when I read Carin's book I had died and gone to heaven. I have rented it for the forth time and I said to my husband that I have got to have it in my own library. My husband can't understand why I can't put it down. I told him that he should read it to find out. If Carin is still writing keep up the great work. I will continue reading all of your books and read them over and over again. Thank you for the great reading material that you bring to us.

Depressed to her bone marrow because of her overwhelming feeling of loneliness compounded by the celebration of Samhain, witch Shana Morland decides to use a prohibited ancient cursed Tarot deck to see if there is a hunk in her near future. Shana assumes the violation is a minor offense as she considers how bad the curse can be without fully understanding the ramifications. Shana will learn rather quickly as the Tarot deck is actually a magical detention cell containing evil witch Moira; anyone who foolishly uses the deck will free her at the cost of their liberty.

However, Moira's jailers understanding human nature, especially witching human nature, included a caveat that Moira's rescuer must be in love to switch places. Shana knows she is okay as she has no one. That is until Ryan Alden crashes his Harley right in front of her. She is stunned as she wants the unconscious stranger with feelings like nothing she ever felt before. However, if he is her true love as she suspects, Shan's price is the curse.

This is an exhilarating one sitting paranormal romantic suspense novel. Readers assume from the moment out cold Ryan lays at Shana's feet, he is the one who will instigate the switch. The heroic lead couple is a delightful pairing of a seemingly doomed duet as they battle a more powerful foe. Moira disarms them by negatively using the power of love so she can live Shana's future while her savior occupies her incarceration time. Carin Rafferty imparts a compelling tale in which love is the curse.

Harriet Klausner

This is the best collection of new short stories I've read since I discovered Thomas Ligotti some years ago. Hirshburg is every bit as good, but entirely different. Any fan of horror stories should buy this immediately. Let's hope he's more prolific than Ligotti.

This is a collection of short stories by an already celebrated author for his short fictions. In the ghost story genre Glen Hirshberg is truely the best american pen stylist since the first publication of Great Master Peter Straub, 30 years ago. Mr. Hirshberg gives a good quantity of new blood, always served in the most literary ways. These are all ghost stories but herein, there isn't any kind of repetition feeling. The only wrong note is that here, the blend is so good that this collection, at the end feels a little short. There is two ways to solve this problem. Either re-read that wonderful collection or read, The Snowman's Children, Mr. Hirshberg's first novel, also a gem on its own . Thanks, Glen! I can't wait for your new novel.

Pull up a chair, start the fire, listen as the tales are told, and see if you sleep tonight. Being a sucker for a ghost story, I thought I'd get a quick scare, have a bit of fun and then put the book down with only a vague recollection of the tales. I couldn't have been more wrong. What I found was so psychologically shattering, it left me with a chill for days.

Centering on education and childhood fears, the fours stories connect and ambush the reader with a combined strike of terror and awe. The title story is heartbreaking and may come to revisit the reader for months, even years after. Each individual plot is so beguiling and intellectually chilling, they leave you breathless. Comfortable and warm, the atmosphere quietly switches gears so fast it's paralyzing.

The characters are deeply portrayed, filled with a delicacy and a history that has damaged them in some way. They soon begin to not only resonate, but also demand to be heard. The pace set in the story is slow and gentle with a build up of a speed so intense it leaves you gasping for air. Hirshberg's style of writing is measured and ingenious, always leaving the reader with his or her own explanations.

Here are five tale that are nominal and unconventional. Classic storytelling with a decisive twist. Perfect!

I give this book a 5 . Buy this book today, but don't forget the No Dose...I wish i hadn't!

The five novellas that make up The Two Sams are billed as ghost stories, but I would describe them more as haunting pieces of fiction, which is not necessarily the same thing. Glen Hirshberg has a wonderful writing style, one that has already earned him many award nominations in his young career. It's a mix of the classic and the modern, a sort of Henry James meets Ramsey Campbell, and in fact Campbell supplies the meritorious introduction to this collection. What you get here is the highest literary form of the dark tale.

There is a great deal of variety between the five long short stories collected here, but they all share a wonderful atmosphere and the underpinnings of well-constructed tales. They are not traditional ghost stories; indeed, they could best be described as psychological horror pieces that remind us once again that the most frightening ghosts are sometimes the ones inside our own heads.

The title story is the shortest and my least favorite of the bunch. It revolves around a father trying to deal with the history of two miscarried pregnancies as his wife's third pregnancy enters its final stages. Who can say what kind of connection a father might have to his children who were not to be? "Dancing Men" seems to garner the most critical acclaim among these stories, but this tale of a boy's very strange rite of passage, one linking the horrors his grandfather suffered in the Holocaust with Native American rituals, didn't evoke the same type of feelings the other stories evoked in me. "Shipwreck Beach" is an interesting story set just off the coast of a Hawaiian island. A young lady has come to see her cousin and friend for the first time since he got out of jail and moved to the islands. Her cousin has something to show her, a mysterious boat that sort of just appeared and cannot be sunk just off the coast. The most interesting aspect of this tale is the story that evolves from the young man's history, the mysterious culmination of which comes onboard the strangely otherworldly boat.

If you are looking for real scares, I would direct your attention to "Struwwelpter" and "Mr. Dark's Carnival." The first story is rather a strange one involving a youth's fascination with a mysterious old man's house and gardens, especially a bell that can reportedly raise the dead. The exploration of the house produces some potentially scary moments for the reader, and the story takes a strange and in some ways much more disturbing turn at the very end.

"Mr. Dark's Carnival" is, in my opinion, the best story by far in this collection. It is set in a college Montana town famous for its Halloween celebrations, much of the collective enthusiasm bound up in the local legend of a strange carnival of undisclosed horrors going back many years. The protagonist is a college professor who delights in teaching this local tradition to his students, and for years he has sought the opportunity to visit this ultimate Halloween haunted house experience -- if it actually exists. You have to be invited to the undisclosed location, and this year he receives what might be a genuine ticket to the supposedly legendary festivities. The whole atmosphere of the story is teeming with spooky potential, the experience as it is happening is fully capable of raising a few hairs on the back of your neck, and the ending hits you like a punch in the guts. I have to say, in all honesty, "Mr. Dark's Carnival" is one of the most impressive horror stories I have read in a long time.

If you have your doubts about the continued honing of the darker crafts of writing in this modern age, you will be especially pleased to sample the impressive wares of Glen Hirshberg. This guy is, as they say, going places -- and he is taking a deep sense of the rich history of the horror genre along with him.

Exhibiting the same compelling, richly textured storytelling style displayed in Hirshberg's noteworthy debut novel, The Snowman's Children, The Two Sams features five novellas that work satisfying variations on familiar themes. All are told in the first person.

The two most intriguing stories in the collection are the bittersweet title story, "The Two Sams," and the surreal "Mr. Dark's Carnival." "The Two Sams" features a troubled husband reflecting on the two miscarriages his wife has suffered-the character's sense of loss is palpable, the climax is profoundly moving. "Mr. Dark's Carnival" which, while evocative of Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes is far, far darker, chronicles a college professor's disturbing Halloween encounter with a local legend.

Another tale set on Halloween night, "Struwwelpeter," is about a haunted house and the allure it holds for a troubled teenager. "Shipwreck Beach" is about the uneasy relationship between two cousins; as it's title indicates, it's about shipwrecks, both literal, and those some people make of their lives. Finally, "Dancing Men" provides a sensitive yet simultaneously harrowing look at some fallout from the central tragedy of our age, the Holocaust.

The enthusiasm Ramsey Campbell displays for Hirshberg's work in his introduction is justifiable-truly an "original and considerable talent," Hirshberg does indeed "bring enviable skills to his work," such as a "stylistic precision that comes of loving language, an unerring eye for character and the moments that define or reveal it," and "a keen sense not just of place but how light and the time of day transform his settings." As to Campbell's assertion that "history will hail him as a crucial contributor to the field," only time will tell. Based on the evidence in The Two Sams, the probability certainly seems high.

Anne Rice has reached the ultimate boundary of thrills with the vampire chronicles. I felt I was one with the characters. Each page brought forth Anne Rice's imagination on paper. One of the best series of the decade. Diana.J

The first three books of the vampire chronicles are the most exciting books that I've read in a long time. There's action, adventure, love, betrayal, and even a few lessons to be learned if you can read between the lines. Other books in the vampire chronicles don't compare to these three.

It was great! These books were so wonderfully emotional and dark, I could practically see in my mind's eye Lestat and Louis, and I could feel the strength of the old ones.

These 3 books were amazing... a friend on-line pushed me into reading the first, and I eventually borrowed the second and third from my English teacher... I couldn't stop! Lestat, Louis.. they're wonderful characters. Marius, Pandora, the same. But Armand has always been my favourite. Always has, always will. I am absolutely AMAZED at the way Anne Rice writes, and I am drawn to her books like a pencil to paper!

Of course the Vampire Chronicals has grown larger than these three books, but sometimes not for the better. These three are the best of the batch. It starts with "Interview" as Louis, a 200 year old vampire tells his life story to a young reporter. It is certainly the deepest, darkest, and more personal of the three, which was how Mrs. Rice was feeling at the time, as her young daughter had just died (comparable with Louis's heart brake when Claudia was killed). The next one is "Lestat". Lestat wakes up from an eighty year slumber and becomes a famous rock star in the tradition of Gene Simmons or Alice Cooper. But the majority of this book has to do with Lestat's education as a fledgling vampire in 18th centry France and his attempt to find the vampire teacher, Marius. In the third, "Queen", Lestat has angered the other vampires of the world by telling humans the legends and secrets of the vampires (disgised as music videos). As other blood drinkers are set to attack him, the Queen herself, the oldest and most powerful vampire in existance, saves Lestat, and offers him a position as her king. This book tells the origin of the vampire in early, pre-history Egypt.
This set of books sets up an interesting cast of charactors. they all represent some piece of humanity. Louis is loss and pain. Lestat is the devil may care lover of life who is a snob and shuns authority. Armand is the cold and distant object of beauty. Marius is the father figure they all obay, for the most part. There are others, like Claudia the willfull brat child.
This series dose not have as much action and violence as you'd expect from a horror novel, and they aren't really scary. They are more like a soap opera with ghosts and vampires (like a hipper version of "Dark Shadows"). There is a lot of meditation on the nature of good and evil, a lot of philosophy as to what it means to be powerful, and the need to kill, and endless moralizing. Religion is touched on briefly. Some people might find this fascinating, others endless whinning. It's like Plato, with murders here and there.

I have finished reading "A Wager of Blood" by J.W. Coffey. Being a person that only reads horror by Stephen King or Anne Rice, it is very hard for another author to keep me intrigued. I must say, however, that when I started reading "A Wager of Blood", I found it very hard to put down. I was both stunned and fascinated with the amount of imagination and creativity that I saw in this novel. The characters had a realistic quality to them in the way they spoke and acted, that kept me glued to the pages in hopes of discovering what would happen next. Not many novels have gripped me the way that this one did. The author takes you on a journey with four unsuspecting people that must face their past to hold on to their future. A gripping tale of love, horror, deceit, and murder that will keep you guessing until the very end! I must confess that this will be an author that I will gladly read from now on. If you have not read "A Wager of Blood" by J.W. Coffey ,I strongly recommend that you do! It is a must read for true horror fans! Are you ready to roll the dice and make a wager? I'd bet on this author anytime!

This novel was fantastic and I impatiently await the sequel!!!!!!!

If you don't want bags under your eyes, don't buy this book. You will be up all night, and you'll be a wreck in the morning, having taken the book and a hot toddy to bed with you.

Coffey has a gift of creating characters with whom the reader identifies. You see what they see; you go where they go; She has you, the reader, on a short leash. Where she leads you is through the dangerous terrain of a great story.

Of course knowing J.W. Coffey I was anxious to read the book. I expected nothing less than incredible and that is EXACTLY what I got and then some. I found myself cursing her one night as it was already late, and by late I mean 2:30 in the morning, as I kept saying I'll stop after this next chapter. I simply couldn't. Knowing that I had to be at work at 8:30 the next morning I forced myself to put it down. But I found myself back in the book in my dreams. An amazing story teller, J.W. Coffey sent my imagination back into high gear. I can't tell you the last time a book's story replayed in my dreams. I owe her a HUGE thank you.

Her vivid descriptions allowed me to imagine what it would be like watching the story unfold. I could picture the inn perfectly. I could see Willow arguing with his father. I found myself willing Meg to go upstairs even though she had been told not to. At many points in the book I found myself on the edge of my seat- literally- as I turned the next page to find more. I found myself completely lost in the story, understanding the bond that Meg and Frankie have- no doubt much like the one I share with my two best friends.

She does a phenominal job going from one century to the other without ever confusing you or loosing you. If you are looking for one of those books that will allow you to sit back and dig deep into your imagination this is most definately the book for you!

I'm tapping my feet waiting for the next one. Write on J.W., write on!

A Wager of Blood plays out in both the 18th and 21st Centuries. Good friends Meg and Frankie have a reunion in a small town in New Hampshire. Meg is married to Zach, the manager of the rebuilt Inn, now a restaurant. Frankie's significant other, Sean, couldn't come along on the trip, but also grew up in the same New Hampshire village.

We learn within the first fifty pages that a killer is on the loose, luring naive businessmen to their death by torture. Coffey has vividly written those opening scenes and made the hairs standup on the back of my neck.

Following this brief intro to the bad guy, the book takes the reader to the reunion of the two women. They go to lunch at the restaurant at the Inn. Meg has already expressed a fear of the old Inn, hearing whispering voices and experiencing some poltergeist activity.

While having lunch, the owner of the Inn appears. Frankie immediately fears the man. Of course, we readers will understand that nasty Mr. Thornton is part of the evil that Meg feels at the Inn. Frankie hears the whispering voices like Meg did and is drawn to the upper floors of the Inn, a place that is off-limits to the Inn's customers.

The two women ascend to the second floor and all hell breaks loose, complete with blood pouring across the floor, screams of tortured souls, and ghostly presences.

"Frankie opened her mouth to try and speak, to give some comfort or assurance, but she didn't get the chance. She turned to see the brass handle of the door twisting up and down; the door, violently, battering itself in the socket that held it. The shaking grew in strength until a picture hanging nearby flew off the nail holding it, dropping to the floor and shattering the glass. The shards mingled with the pool of blood, causing an obscene sparkle to the mess.

She felt a tingle and her right palm began to itch and crawl with unseen insects under the flesh. A burning began to build under the skin, making it feel like it was blistering. She held the hand up to reassure herself that the flesh was not about to bubble off. The pain was becoming increasingly
excruciating, and she cradled her palm against her ribs. It was a moment before she realized that the hallway had been plunged into silence again. The door had stopped its insane vibrations.

. . . rattle, rattle . . . ."

But that's all I'm going to say about the plot because I'd think the readers would like to discover for themselves what happens next in "A Wager of Blood."

I can add a few comments that aren't spoilers. J.W. Coffey is a very good writer and you'll have no problem being carried along in the book. I stayed up way too late reading the first day I received the book. I paced myself after that and firmly shut the book at the end of a part. Not a chapter, but a Part.

Coffey has cleverly divided the book into parts with intriguing titles taken from gambling terminology.

Part One - The New Shooter Steps to the Line
Part Two - Seven's a Bruiser, The Front Line's a Loser
Part Three - The Stickman and the Come Out Roll

Now, I don't know diddley about Craps, the dice game on which Coffey based these titles. That's okay, though. You don't have to know how to play the game to get the connection, sinister as those connections are.

If you like horror, Wager will satisfy your desire for blood. If you like historicals, there's plenty of time spent in the 18th Century. If you like romance, there's some of that going on, too. That's not to say the book doesn't know where it's going; it does. It provides an interesting and balanced crossover of genres to interest a broad range of readers.

From the first pages describing a kidnap and torture to the last page telling of an unholy alliance between an ambitious woman and the devil, Coffey carries you along with plenty of heart-pounding excitement, lots of the 'ew' factor. And maybe you'll learn how to play Craps, but you may wish you'd never heard of the game.

Okay, there are some down sides to the writing. Hey, I've got to be real here. Some chapters dragged for me. A few times (and it was few), I felt like saying "Get on with it. I already know this." An author, I think, doesn't need to keep restating the obvious. How about an example. In Part titled "Interlude Two: The Dark Side," we find Meg back in the office talking to Zach. She's hesitant to tell him what she saw and he's hesitant to tell her what he knows. I'm thinking, "Hey guys! You're in love. You trust each other! Get on with it!" I tended to skim here because I didn't think these two would be so cagey. If my hubby was beating about the bush like Zach, I'd smack him. I think Meg should buck up and tell Zach what she saw and Zach should trust his wife.

Okay, that may be coming from my LONG time marriage. Meg and Zach are newlyweds, so maybe don't have the trust established. I'd urge Coffey not to let these scenes drag down the pace. I think that "A Wager of Blood" is a wild ride of mayhem and, as a reader, I'm up for it tearing along at a fast pace.

On the other hand, maybe the average reader wants a breather once in a while. That's fine. I'll skim, though, and I think other readers will, too.

That is not a huge downside to "A Wager of Sin." I am of the opinion that most readers who like a bit of devil worship, torture, ghostly presences, and so on will enjoy this book immensely.

The writer is Kentucky novelist J. W. Coffey, and her book is called A Wager of Blood. Here's the skinny on it.

Matthew Harper and his wife Hannah own and operate a small in New Hampshire, along a route that is about to become a very busy road - and the perfect stop-over on the way through New Hampshire to points north. Lodging is lush but affordable, and the food is to die for.

One night in 1760, foolishly enters into what he thinks is just a wee game of chance between friends with Newell Thornton. Before the night is over, and with the aid of loaded dice, Thornton owns the Inn, and the Harpers along with two others are dead.

Over three hundred years later, the Thornton Inn is still owned by the descendants of Newell Thornton, and by some strange fluke of cosmic fate, Zach Harper is the manager. It's more of a restaurant than anything else now because over the years, the place has gained the reputation that it's haunted.

Coffey has managed something that I honestly haven't done since probably Ann Rice's Vampire Armand - she's written something I simply could not put down! Twists and turns, brilliant characters you actually care about, fast paced action are all part of the stunning vista that her pen brings to life. The scenes shift seamlessly between the past, the present, the real and the surreal.

I read a lot, and often pass on to my friends recommendations. This is a list topper. If you are a fan of well written horror, you will want a copy of A Wager of Blood for your personal library. And, while they last, there is a nice caveat - Coffey will send a singed book plate to anyone who requests it. Get your book, and snatch up that autograph. When she's famous, you're gonna be able to say you read her way back when... I ordered mine.

MANY OF THE FANTSAY BOOKS COMING OUT ARE ALL THE SAME. THE SAME PLOTS AND CHARACTER TYPES. The Unholy Order is different because J. J. Falcon takes an ancient old legend and brings it to life in an exciting way. The story is well told and keeps you on edge. He did a good job mixing the fantasy and the science fiction, and it has more diologue, so your not put to sleep with descriptions and the author telling whats happening. The action is good especially towards the end, NO KIDDING! It reads like a movie. If this does not become a movie I will be shocked.

I will keep it short...

...great, awsome, thrilling, action, funny, sad, mysterious, and looking foward to the next book!!

get it, read it!!

just finished reading it a second time and it was an awsome story. its original, and exciting. the characters are funny and believable. the diologue made the book. it does not draw out in boring telling. instead, it is done in diologue and that is why I read it a second time. if this does not become a movie I will be shocked!! I would love to talk more about the book, but is better that you check it out for yourselves.

This is an awesome story with lots of action, and it is funny at times too. the characters are cool and I can relate a little to Ian. I bet Toumus could kick Darth Vaders [...]. I bet the second book will be better because there is a lot of explaining to be done. I have questions about some things that happened. I hope he reveals who killed Ian's parents, and I bet Marco returns. Ian and Marco did good together. And why the sudden appearance by Darius at the end? to strange for me. Can't wait for the second book.

I was not sure about this type of book, but after I began to read it I was hooked. There is excitement throughout the story, especially at the end. The Watchers will be a great epic series, and I would not be surprised to see it at the movies soon. If you are a teen you will love the characters of Ian, Marco, and Camille. I predict the relationship between Ian and Camille will become a serious one. If you are an adult you will love the Watchers, and the growing battles between the good Watchers and the evil Watchers. If you thought certain countries in Europe were becoming a problem now, wait till you see them thirty years from now according to J. J. Falcon. His view of the world in 2030 is so realistic. I hope the second book won't take long to come out.

This is hilarious light reading with excellent illustrations.

The conversations we've had with our kids about how they become baby elephants, and vultures, in their manners and behaviour has been a treasure.

A delightful light allegory about growing up and parenting.

I buy this book for my grown kids who are expecting their first "zagazoos" so they'll get a glimpse of what it's gonna be like. Really great perspective from the parents and kids point of veiw.

My daughter loves this book(23 months)She doesn't understand the subtle and VERY amusing story line but the pictures and text have kept it in the favorite pile for many readings(sometimes 2x a night)It makes me laugh every time I read it.....

I love reading this book to my 2 year old because he thinks it is funny and interesting and I chuckle to myself about all the various stages of wild animal that we have yet to experience! It makes me sentimental for the times my husband and I had together before our Zagazoo came along! It is sweet. It is a great book that I will send to all the parents I know.

We took this book out of our local library, and I am now online to purchase 5 or more copies to have on hand to give to all my friends as they become parents. This book appealed to me particularly as a parent, because in a clever and amusing, albeit heartfelt way, it relates the feelings and thoughts a parent experiences as their child grows and develops.

I loved everything about it - the humor, the pathos, the simplicity of the storyline, and the colorful illustrations by Mr. Blake. My child really enjoys it - and he didn't mind my explaining the parts to him he didn't understand - or won't - until he, too, becomes a parent!!

In the vein of Shel Silverstein.

Just great.

Each of the short mystery stories has a nicely surprising ending. Very entertaining. I found that the best stories were placed before lesser ones; in general they are included in roughly descending order (as to perceived quality).

In my monthly Mystery Newsletter, I recommended, 100 Malicious Little Mysteries. Here you'll find, "...charmingly insidious, satisfyingly devious little mysteries. Each story has its own particular appeal-that unexpected twist, a delectable puzzle, a devastating revelation. There are stories by some of the most well-known writers in the field including Michael Gilbert, Edward Wellen and Bill Pronzini."
This is quite an enjoyable book. Of course, there are some stories that appeal more than others, but overall, it's a fun read. There is also an added plus; each mystery is short and easy to read before closing your eyes. A doctor of the macabre might say, "Take one little mystery before bedtime and call me in the morning."
Gerard Bianco author of the mystery novel, Dying For Deception
www.dyingfordeception.com

I loved this book. If you need to pass some time, and don't want to get involved in a lengthy novel, try this out. Perhaps I should not have said "Horror and Humor" but some of these stories made me chuckle. I love them, and would recommend them and other 100.... collections.

If you're looking for a good book to pass time, pick this one up. My favorite story is "A Feline Felony" by Lael J. Littke. Jerome Kotter was a cat. He walked, talked, and acted like a human though. He grew up living a pretty happy, normal life except for one guy, Benny Rhoades, who made Jerome's life miserable. Jerome survives school and gets a nice job with a nice secretary. He fogets about Benny. One day Benny shows up and he has gotten a job in the mail room. Jerome can't believe it. Latter that week, Jerome and his secretary, Marie, were settled down for a pleasant evening when Benny burst in. He had a gun! Jerome didn't think, he leaped into the air, Benny . . . you'll have to read the story to find out what happens.

For the most part, these stories do not fit my definition of "mystery." With the exception of one very neat little Sherlock Holmes pastiche, there usually are no detectives and no whodunnits. The stories feature tales of crime, intrigue, and suspense with surprising plot twists. And the literary genres are as varied as the authors. Some of the stories would even be at home in fantasy and science fiction anthologies.

These short-short stories can give you a few morsels of entertainment at odd moments of leisure in a hectic day's work, or you can curl up in your armchair and bite off huge chunks of reading pleasure in the evenings.

What a shocker this book had me engrossed from page 1. I could not believe someone had the balls to write what I was reading. I was hoping that the lady next to me on the plane wasn't looking over my shoulder. 13 stories takes you for a ride you have no idea where it will lead until Ed decides to blindside you with his unique style. If you like your surprises with no holds barred then this book is a must read for you. I hope somewhere Ed is working on a sophamore project for the following this author is sure to amass.

Cain is undoubtedly one of the best new talents. All the stories are written by him, but you'd never know it to read them! Each story is a different facet of this fascinating man's personality. From an anything-but-simple haunting "The Lost Souls of the Stanton", To an odd diary, ( very odd) "The Diary" to the amazing "Glory Hole", each shows the talent of a much more experienced author. There IS one thing in common in all 13 stories--they make it difficult to fall asleep at night! So if you dare, give 13 STORIES a try, and invite me to your nightmares! Enjoy!

From disgust to revulsion, from fright to abject terror... Ed Cain strikes a cord in so many ways with his first book. "Glory Hole" takes you to the depths of depravity and shows in vivid detail where that path can lead. "Pieces" tears apart your psyche like the wrecked body of the monster in the story. And "The Lost Souls of the Stanton" departs from the classic horror genre, but Cain's results are no less unsettling for it. I was skeptical when I first cracked the pages of this book, as new authors usually have to write several books to find their voice, but Ed Cain captures your attention from the get-go. I was truly engrossed in this book from start to finish.

What sticks out most is that this book is like no other I've read. This work is void of the common horror cliches we've come to expect in this ever-narrowing genre of vampires and knife-wielding psychonuts. As an example, who would expect to find Satan himself in the thick of the battle in Viet Nam? "In the Scope", my favorite story, we see that the ol' fork-tailed one has landed himself and a few of his own in the jungle letting hell play itself out as the war rages on around him. This is a refreshing set of short stories that takes the reader to different settings and surroundings somewhat new to the horror realm. "Teven's Monster" takes us to the inner-city project where a young boy meets a brother he never knew he had - and for good reason. Cain is able to play on your worst fears and deepest delusions like a conductor would a symphony.

Wow! I just finished reading this book and I'm still trying to digest it. Where has this guy been? As an avid fan of horror who had grown Oh so tired of vampires or horror disguising itself as romance, I've finally found a writer who writes horror without trying to be PC. Cain's stories don't hold back. They are rude at times, violent, he never backs off. Though I wish some of the stories had been longer, Cain's writing style is definitely for the Gen-X crowd. Rather than having to skip large portions of the text due to excessive use of adjectives, Cain gives you enough background to understand where you are, then throws you into the abyss. The baby boomers have Stephen King, and Dean Koontz, but few of our generation feel like reading a 500 page book. Cain covers in 170 pages what many author's would cover in 500, but you don't miss anything. Without doubt, the strongest story in the book would have to be Glory Hole. This bizarre tale of ancient Chinese myth, spun neatly into the life of a porn junkie living during the depression, is brilliant, original, and totally engrossing. Tevin's Monster ran a close second with me. The story centers around a young black child living in the projects who discovers a family secret the hard way. Cain's settings are perhaps the best part of his books. No two of these stories are even close to the same, even the writing style changes to adapt to the needs of the story. I don't normally recommend books, but if you are a fan of horror, or just looking for something completely different, try 13 Stories, you won't be disappointed.